Tyler Kula The Observer Nov 28, 2022
It was maybe eight years ago when the Sarnia-Lambton Local Immigration Partnership first started talking about developing a smartphone app to make it easier and more welcoming for newcomers here to get settled, an official says.
“Sadly, things like this cost quite a bit of money,” said Stephanie Ferrera.
The idea, then, remained just that until 2020, when mass event cancellations amid the COVID-19 pandemic meant the federally funded organization had some money to spare.
“So we asked (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) if we could spend it on creating a prototype,” Ferrera said.
After nearly two years in development, the Welcome to Lambton app officially launched on Nov. 24.
Equipped with an eight-language translation service Ferrera said is “like Google Translate on steroids,” the free app let’s newcomers create profiles to sort through which services they might need help with, and what would be a waste of their time, and then connects them with those service providers.
“That’s always our primary goal, is to make sure their settlement is meaningful and efficient and free of barriers,” Ferrera said.
There’s also space through the app for users to post events and another section for discounts offered through local businesses, she said.
“It’s something unique to Canada,” she said about the TMRRW Inc.-developed app, created with consultation from newcomers.
It also includes checklists and is available to newcomers before they arrive, consolidating and simplifying the work of entering and adjusting to a new country while increasing self-sufficiency, Ferrera said.
Thousands of newcomers arrive in Sarnia-Lambton every year through Lambton College’s international program, she noted.
“Lambton County has a long history of welcoming newcomers from all walks of life, and we are proud to have a welcoming, supportive community here,” said Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott in a news release.
“To make sure all newcomers to Lambton County feel valued and supported, we need to ensure they have access to the resources and tools they need to settle and participate within our community. The Welcome to Lambton app will help us accomplish that.”
Ferrera declined to specify the amount of funding provided through IRCC for the project, but noted the organization provided a funding extension earlier this year.
Updates to the app are ongoing, she said.
“We’ve added the most pertinent information that we could think of relative to the life of a newcomer to Lambton specifically, and then ongoing we’ll be adding more information.”
The app is also useful for service providers, she said. Case workers at some organizations might not know all of the ins and outs of the settlement processes, Ferrera noted.
“So if they access the app themselves, they can actually see, to create a better referral system and sort of avoid that bump that happens when you get bounced around a little bit,” she said.
Everyone is welcome to check it out, via the App and Google Play stores, and provide feedback at stephanie.ferrera@county-lambton.on.ca, she said.